ADV1025 Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Long time lurker but finally decided to make an account I am hoping to identify the awards on the medal bar of Sigurd von Ilsemann who was the adjutant to Kaiser Wilhelm II after he abdicated. Little information is know about him other than that he fought in the Champagne-Ardenne campaign in WW1 and reached the rank of Hauptmann. From this one photo I found online, I can determine the following awards: 1. Iron Cross 1st Class 2. House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight with Swords 3. Order of the Red Eagle, 4th Class with Swords on war ribbon 4. Albert Order, Knight's Cross 1st Class with swords 5. Saxon Order of Merit, Knight Second Class 6. Order of the Zähringer Lion Knight, First Class 7. Fredrich August medal based on the stripes? 8. ? 10. Austro-Hungarian Military merit cross 11. ? 12. ? For the 11th award, my initial thoughts was the unofficial Champagne campaign cross but its placement as a foreign award doesn't make sense. For the 12th one, the Bulgarian order of St alexander comes into mind but the shield in the center threw me off. Any help is appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VtwinVince Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Definitely something Bulgarian at the end, and beside it I'm guessing a Romanian order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADV1025 Posted March 25, 2023 Author Share Posted March 25, 2023 I thought so too but Romania was part of the Allied Powers at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Krause Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 The last 2 are both bulgarian. Military merit order and Order of Alexander. 5 is no Saxon merit, but a Wuerttemberg Frederick knight 1st class. 7 is a hessen bravery medal, the saxon Friedrich August was never ever awarded to an Officer Best, Daniel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADV1025 Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 2 hours ago, Daniel Krause said: The last 2 are both bulgarian. Military merit order and Order of Alexander. I thought so too in the beginning but the Order of st alexander ranks higher in precedence so it would've been placed in front. 2 hours ago, Daniel Krause said: 7 is a hessen bravery medal, the saxon Friedrich August was never ever awarded to an Officer He may have recieved one as an officer cadet, Ive heard of such things happening. Thank you for your insights nonetheless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Krause Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 By the way, number 8 is a brunswick Order of Henry the lion 4th class. He did not get a Friedrich August as a officer candidate 🙂 This would show up in the Prussian Army lists. His hessen Bravery Medal is the right one, believe me 😉 Just checked my files, he did indeed get both Bulgarian orders in the Offiers class. Why he did wear the Alex after the Military Merit might have been his decision, even if the rules were different. Best, Daniel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADV1025 Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 Thank you Daniel! From your files, can you confirm whether he served in a Prussian unit or another German kingdom’s army during the war? Appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Krause Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 He served only in the Prussian Army. Infantry regiment 115, General Staff and ADC to Willy2 Best, Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.F. Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Last two possibly: -Finnish Order of Liberty -Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander with Swords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohanH Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 46 minutes ago, P.F. said: Last two possibly: -Finnish Order of Liberty -Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander with Swords There is not a von Ilsemann in my list of German recipients of the Liberty Cross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurentius Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 On 26/03/2023 at 23:21, JohanH said: There is not a von Ilsemann in my list of German recipients of the Liberty Cross. It's the Bulgarian order of Military Merit. It's red enameled and has a tendency to reflect. This is why it appears that the middle of the arms have a different colour which might lead some to conclude a Finnish rather than a Bulgarian decoration. The last two are both Bulgarian in my opinion. Kind regards, Laurentius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohanH Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 I agree. I have never thought it to be the Finnish Liberty cross. My message was a reply to P.F. who said it could possibly be the Liberty cross. My reply was only meant to say that it is highly unlikely that it is the Liberty cross since there is no von Ilsemann in the roll of crosses to germans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deutschritter Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) Gentlemen, mostly filmmakers get decorations, even ranks wrong ... did they get them right this time? Why would he receive the RAO II with Swords as Hauptmann? Ben Daniels as "Oberst" (was he ever Oberst?) Sigurd von Ilsemann in The Exception. Edited April 17, 2023 by Deutschritter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deutschritter Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) Here is von Ilsemann (right) during the burial of Kaiser Wilhelm II on 9 June 1941. What is the small decoration to the left of his EK I (maybe the Erinnerungszeichen zum 80. Geburtstag Kaiser Wilhelms II.)? And the neck order is the Königlicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern Kreuz der Komture mit Schwertern? Thanks! Edited April 17, 2023 by Deutschritter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VtwinVince Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 LOL, the only good thing about that movie was that chick who played the love interest. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted April 18, 2023 Share Posted April 18, 2023 13 hours ago, Deutschritter said: Gentlemen, mostly filmmakers get decorations, even ranks wrong ... did they get them right this time? Why would he receive the RAO II with Swords as Hauptmann? Ben Daniels as "Oberst" (was he ever Oberst?) Sigurd von Ilsemann in The Exception. Filmmakers dont care because the audience mostly is indifferent or unknowing. So dont be surprised 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackcowboyBS Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 On 26/03/2023 at 19:00, Daniel Krause said: By the way, number 8 is a brunswick Order of Henry the lion 4th class. He did not get a Friedrich August as a officer candidate 🙂 This would show up in the Prussian Army lists. His hessen Bravery Medal is the right one, believe me 😉 Just checked my files, he did indeed get both Bulgarian orders in the Offiers class. Why he did wear the Alex after the Military Merit might have been his decision, even if the rules were different. Best, Daniel correct, Sigurd von Ilsemann recieved his cross 4th class in 1910 as Leutnant Garde Infanterie Regiment 115 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deutschritter Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 I hope this list is correct and complete: Brunswick House Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class (BrH4) in 1910 Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class Hessian Bravery Medal (Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille; HT) Order of the Red Eagle, 4th Class with Swords on War Ribbon Saxon Albrechts-Orden, Knight 1st Class with Swords (SA3a⚔) Friedrichs-Orden, Ritter I. Klasse (WF3a) Bulgarian Order of Military Merit, Officer with Swords Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary), 3rd Class with Swords Bulgarian Order of Saint Alexander, Officer with Swords Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Knight's Cross I. Class with Swords (BZL3a⚔/BZ3a⚔) House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords (HOH3⚔) Commemorative plaque for the royal princes, general adjutants and adjutants of Kaiser Wilhelm II. (Gedenkzeichen für die Königlichen Prinzen, Generaladjutanten und Flügeladjutanten von Kaiser Wilhelm II.) House Order of Hohenzollern, Commander with Swords (neck order) Erinnerungszeichen zum 70. Geburtstag Kaiser Wilhelms II. Treuedienstmedaille zum 75. Geburtstag Kaiser Wilhelms II. Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (eligible to receive) Erinnerungszeichen zum 80. Geburtstag Kaiser Wilhelms II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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